What Could Have Been
by jerseygirl12247
Summary: Ever wondered what life would have been like if Edward and Bella had both lived in the 1900s? About Bella, the Cullens, and the Hales, What Could Have Been is narrated by Bella and takes place in Forks in 1918. Hope you enjoy! Sorry, no vampires
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first real story. There is no such thing as vampires, it's 1918, and the Cullens and Hales live in Forks, where Bella, Charlie, and Renee just moved.

* * *

"No, Mother!"

"Bella, please! The Cullens invited us over and it's only polite to go," said my mother, Renée.

My parents and I had just moved to Forks, Washington and one of the local doctor's wife's had invited us to a "get-together" to introduce us to most of the members of the town.

"Please, you know I don't like these sort of things. Can't I just stay here?" I begged.

Renée sighed. "I'm making Charlie come too! They have a daughter your age," she added, hoping this would persuade me.

It didn't work. "I don't want to meet anyone else, my age or not."

"You're coming. We're leaving in half an hour."

* * *

Needless to say I was not happy. I hated social gatherings of any sort. _Especially_ when people my age were there.

Renée dragged me into the house and sat me down on a couch. I sat there for only a few seconds before a small girl with black hair come bouncing over to me.

"Hi, I'm Alice," she said. "You're Bella, right?"

"Yes, we just moved here," I replied smiling. This girl had an infectious attitude. She seemed genuinely happy to meet me.

"Nice to meet you." Alice sat down next to me. "I'm so happy you're my age. I don't particularly like anyone in town."

Despite my aversion to most younger people, I found that I liked Alice already.

"It's so boring in here!" said Alice. "Let's go outside."

We stood up and walked over to Renée, who was sitting with a woman who was apparently Alice's mother, Esme. We told them we were going outside and walked out to the back porch. Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me across the yard to the top of a huge hill.

"Race you down!" she said.

We took off. We made it halfway down the hill before I tripped. I rolled down the second half of the hill and came to a halt when I hit something. That something gave a groan, and I realized that it was a some_one_.

I scrambled to my feet. "I am so sorry!" I apologized.

The person I had rolled into stood up and I saw that it was a boy about my age. He was tall, over six feet, and had bronze colored hair and brilliant green eyes.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I hit you pretty hard."

"I'm sure," he replied.

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice came running up to us.

"I'm all right," I said.

The boy smiled. "I think I broke her fall."

Alice turned to him. "Edward, this is Bella. Bella, this is my brother Edward."

"Nice to meet you," Edward said.

I blushed for no reason at all. "Nice to meet you, too."

"We're going down to the stream. Want to come?" Alice asked Edward.

"Sure," he replied.

The three of us continued down a path that led to a small river. Alice and Edward didn't hesitate to pull off their shoes and wade in. I was a little more cautious, hiking up my skirt and watching where I stepped. But the second I put a foot in the stream, I slipped and fell. Before I could hit the water, though, I felt a pair of strong arms dart out and catch me. I looked up and saw Edward standing over me.

"That's twice today that I've stopped you from falling. Is this going to become a pattern?" he said jokingly.

Of course, I blushed again. "Thanks."

I suddenly felt something grab my ankles and pull me under the water. After a few seconds, whatever it was released me and I rose to the surface, spluttering. Alice popped up next to me, laughing.

"Hahaha!! You're drenched!!" she said.

And it was true. I was sopping.

"I'm not going back up to the house this wet!" I complained. "At least not alone!!" And with that, I tackled Alice.

We both came up gasping for air. Edward stood a few feet away, laughing hysterically at us. Alice and I looked at him and then looked at each other.

He saw what was coming. "Oh, no you don't." He actually had a look of fear on his face as he quickly backed away from us. But in his haste, he tripped over a rock and went crashing into the water.

Alice and I could hardly contain our laughter as Edward stood back up, his face telling us that this wasn't over.

Alice managed to rapidly get out of the river, racing up the bank. I, on the other hand, was not nearly as graceful and stumbled halfway to the shore before I saw Edward lunge at me. His arms wrapped around me, bringing me down yet protecting me from any real harm.

We ended up halfway in the water, with me landing on him. I moved to get up, but Edward's arms were still around me, stopping me from getting up. The two of us just lay there for a minute, before Alice's voice grabbed our attention.

"Are you coming?"

Edward and I scrambled to our feet and followed Alice along the river. We eventually came to a giant oak tree, perfect for climbing.

Alice and Edward turned to me. "Can you climb?" Alice asked.

I looked up at the tree. It towered over me, almost forty feet high. "I don't know," I said. "I can try."

"Don't worry." Edward smiled. "We'll help you."

The three of us spent the next fifteen minutes climbing to the very top of the tree. Unsurprisingly, I slipped more than once. In fact, I almost fell about ten times. But every time my foot slid or I lost my hold, Edward was there to catch me.

We finally made it to the top. I have to admit, it was worth the climb. The view was spectacular. We could see the forest for miles, with the stream winding through it.

As Alice, Edward, and I sat up there, I realized that what had started as the worst day possible had ended perfectly.

* * *

A/N: Please review!! Good or bad!! I just want feedback!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N This chapter takes place in June, about a month after the Swans moved to Forks.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been busy. I'll try to update at least once a week from now on.

* * *

"Come on! We've been out for hours!"

I looked up at Alice. "I'm sorry, but if I climb any faster, I'll break my neck!"

It was the middle of June and we were in the big oak tree. I was almost all the way down, just about thirty feet from the ground. Edward was already waiting on ground and Alice was a few branches above me.

"Don't pressure her, Alice! She fell last time and almost broke her head open! I don't feel like cleaning up any blood today!" Edward smiled up at me, his laughter obvious in his brilliant green eyes.

Alice sighed, exasperated. "Esme said that if we were late getting in again no coming out for a week," she said to Edward.

Edward shook his head. "You can't think she was being serious," he called up.

"I don't plan on finding out," Alice replied. "Faster, Bella!"

I rolled my eyes but moved quicker anyway. I really had to concentrate. _Hand below hand, foot below foot. Almost there, just another fifteen feet._

CRACK! The branch I was holding onto snapped! I was falling through the air, bracing myself for the impact of the hard, unwelcoming ground.

But instead I felt someone catch me.

"We've really got to teach you to climb right." Edward said, fighting a laugh.

I smiled. "You should know that I'm a lost cause by now. That's the fourth time this week."

"And probably not the last, the way you move!" Alice said as she dropped down next to us, as graceful as ever.

I sighed to myself. I would never be as graceful as Alice.

"Let's go!" she said.

Edward put me down and we began to run. We raced through the woods, up the hill, and into the Cullen's house.

Esme and Renée were in the sitting room talking. "We were wondering where you had gotten to," Esme said with a warm smile.

Edward, Alice, and I collapsed onto the sofa, gasping for breath. "We made it!" Alice panted triumphantly.

Esme and Renée laughed.

"We had better be going," Renée said. She, Esme, and Alice stood up and walked out to the front porch. Edward and I lingered, neither of us getting up.

We were both lying on the sofa. I was still flushed and breathing hard from our sprint to the house. Edward suddenly shifted so that he was sitting with his back against the couch and I was leaning against him, my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and held me even closer, if that was possible. I made no attempt to move. This close, I could hear his heartbeat, fell the heat radiating from his skin.

"Bella," he murmured my name.

I looked up at him.

But before anything could happen, I heard another voice call my name. "Bella! We have to go!"

I jumped up. "I'm coming!" I started to run out of the room but Edward grabbed my hand.

"Wait," he pleaded.

I looked towards the door. "I have to go. Renée is waiting for me. I'll be back tomorrow."

He looked at me with those bright emerald eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise. I really have to go!" I squeezed his hand and darted out.

* * *

Renée, Esme and Alice were waiting for me outside.

"What took you so long?" asked Renée.

"Um, I tripped." Always the most believable lie.

Of course Alice could see right through me. She looked at me quizzically and raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head, almost imperceptibly.

She gave me one of those looks. "You mean—"

I cut her off before she could get anything else out. "Well, isn't it time we were on our way? See you tomorrow, Alice." And with that I had grabbed Renée and marched her out into the street.

* * *

As I lay in my bed later that night, I could think about only one thing. He was racing through my mind. Everything about him—his smile, his laugh, his eyes, the sound of his heartbeat. As I drifted off into sleep, all I could hear was that steady pulse.

* * *

A/N Any reviews are welcome!


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